Weddingbee

…Everything was in place. Mr. Lovebug and Melissa had taken up their positions on the steps of the ceremony site. The string quartet was playing the last few bars of Canon. I waited with bated breath for my cue. All I could feel, all I was aware of, was the breeze stirring my skirts.

Only, wait. That breeze sure is…breezy. In fact, that’s not so much a breeze as it is wind. I look up at the sky. It’s suddenly grey. It’s so very…grey. Oh my god. It’s going to rain. It’s going to rain on my–

CRRAAAACK! Audible gasps. Nervous laughter. What the…? What’s going–

And then, before I know what’s happening, the music starts. I wouldn’t know what the commotion was until after the ceremony, when I find out that seconds before I walked out, the wind tore a huge branch off one of the trees. It came crashing down inches away from one of the photographer’s assistant’s head, nearly braining him.

(Chris, our photographer, had actually brought two assistants, so if one of them HAD died, it wouldn’t have been that big a deal or anything. )

And what was my reaction to this drama? To this really intense moment of my first steps down the aisle? To seeing my almost-husband for the first time on our wedding day? That’s right - MORE GRINNING!

So much for solemnity. (And so much for Mrs. Corn’s advice not to hold my bouquet like a half-empty 40.) I’ve actually figured out what was causing me to be so giggly. When the experience really starts to sink in, there’s so much emotion it’s almost overwhelming. You get this knot in your throat, like you’re going to cry. But you’re so ridiculously happy that you laugh instead. You have to do one or the other, anyway. All those feelings won’t stay put inside of you.

Between Chris and his two assistants, those guys didn’t miss a shot - Mr. Lovebug’s perspective, or mine:

This shot - and Mr. LB’s priceless expression - are why I am so glad I waited for us to see one another. It was such a powerful moment. And then, everyone stood up. I hadn’t been to a wedding in so long that I’d forgotten that - everyone stands up, and you feel like a princess. You look at your fiance, and it’s like a magnet is pulling you towards him. Everyone you care about is there, beaming at you - it’s just surreal.

Everyone tells you to make sure and walk slowly. And I tried, I really did. But it was such a short distance - it was over way too quickly. The best part about it, for me, was the music. I waffled for months on what I wanted to use: the string quartet playing Pietro Mascagni or a recording of Badly Drawn Boy. Classic and romantic, or sweet and soundtrack-esque?

Well, if you’re like me, your entire music collection is the soundtrack to your life. If you’re like me, songs are what tether you to your memories - and transport you to them, years later. I am so glad I chose I Love N.Y.E (by Badly Drawn Boy), despite the fact that probably no one there had ever heard it. It’s just such a pretty, sweet piece of music. It set the perfect tone for a ceremony that was simple, but very emotional. I’ve included it here, in case anyone’s interested. But bear in mind I only walked the first 45 seconds of it:

I reached Mr. Lovebug, and Melissa began the ceremony:

Apparently, I’d decided that I was going to hold my bouquet like an Academy Awards statuette. After the welcome, we had planned on a friend reading the traditional Irish Blessing. But when he realized that he didn’t feel comfortable doing it, we had to rethink. Unfortunately, the programs were already printed, listing “Irish Blessing.”

But I did some last minute sleuthing and found this really cool piece of Irish literature called The Invocation of the Graces, from which Melissa read an excerpt instead. It was the perfect sort of quasi-benediction (it’s a bit exotic, but very poetic) - you can read it here.

I handed off my bouquet:

As you can imagine, the wind was driving me crazy, whipping my hair around and making me worry that our voices would get lost. But that ended up being the number one most commented-on aspect of the ceremony - how pretty and dramatic the wind made it. It didn’t rain one drop, and the overcast skies made for great pictures (no shadows, no squinting), so in retrospect, it really was a lucky thing!

Then came the group blessing, which was an amazing moment, too. It gave us a chance to look back at everyone and take in their rapt expressions:

(Although my favorite crowd shot has got to be this one:)

We made our declarations of intent (at the bit about anyone objecting to our union, Mr. Lovebug hammed it up by throwing the crowd a dirty look), and then Melissa performed the chocolate and wine ritual:

It was really cool to do the ritual, and we tried to be very solemn about it…but the truth is, our mouths were, like, insanely dry from nerves. So chewing a chunk of dark chocolate when neither of us had a drop of spit (TMI, sorry) was kinda hilariously awkward. But everyone was saying how original it was afterward, so it was worth it.

My BFF Mason (who had brought me the apple) read Union, by Robert Fulgum:

See that big guy? Big guy got choked up. Making the bride get choked up:

Then it was time to say our vows. Now, rewind to two months before this moment. Picture me, sitting across the breakfast table from Mr. Lovebug, gently reminding him that he needs to write his vows. Asking if he needed ideas on how to approach it. Basically, being a control freak, and having to stop herself from writing them on her own. Picture that scene again, a week later. And again, and again, and again…

I really had no idea what to expect, regarding Mr. Lovebug’s vows. I knew he had finally written them, but that was about it. We’d both given them to Melissa separately, so she could review them and make sure they more or less “matched”. And she had assured me they were good.

Um, they were ridiculously, amazingly perfect. They weren’t Shakespeare, and they weren’t Shelley, but they were perfect. With five simple sentences, my non-reading, video game-obsessed fiance hit all the notes most meaningful to me. I’m actually going to keep them private, but trust me - boy done good. Witness Mr. LB, reading…

(This is his about-to-break face.)

…and witness my transition from Smiley Gigglesworth to Cryface McSoberton:

And even though you can’t see them, Melissa’s eyes were as watery as mine. That’s how much emotion there was between us. That middle photo, the one of me cupping my mouth, is my favorite shot of the wedding - it just perfectly captures how I felt the whole day: in loving, grateful awe of my life.

In a split second, our ceremony had gone from the part of the wedding we thought we’d have to “get through”, to the most incredible half hour of our lives so far. For my vows, I managed to keep my tears smiley:

But then it was time for the ring exchange, and seeing our beloved puppy come padding down the aisle towards us was almost too much sweetness to bear…

Next time, on One Lucky Day…

Will Chaucer the mastiff drool all over Miss Lovebug’s gown?! Will the guests participate in the “Group Kiss” at the end of the ceremony?! Will someone take Miss Lovebug aside and fix those @^$^#* bobby pins on the side of her head?! Tune in and find out!!

• In 10… 9… 8&#...
• Five Fabulous Frames